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The Ivory Coast’s quest for a World Cup got off to a great start with a 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Sunday, but a recent scandal involving one of its players may put a dark cloud over its entire tournament run.
According to The Athletic, Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi was arrested on suspicion of fixing offenses less than two weeks before the start of the tournament.
The arrest stems from an incident during a May 17 match in the French Ligue 1, in which Wahi, while playing for his club Nice, intentionally earned a yellow card against Metz.
Wahi was arrested on May 29 by French police, mere hours after scoring two goals in a win over Saint-Étienne.
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According to a spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor’s office, Wahi was released from police custody after he was interviewed by authorities.
While the investigation is still ongoing, Wahi has traveled to the United States and even played in the Ivory Coast’s win over Ecuador this past weekend.
The belief is that Wahi participated in a practice called “spot-fixing,” which is essentially manipulating events within a match that gamblers with inside knowledge can then bet on.
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The Athletic says suspicions were raised when Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the governing body that runs the league in France, were tipped off about suspect betting patterns in Nice’s Ligue 1 fixture against Metz, involving wagers on Wahi to receive a yellow card.
A yellow card was shown to Wahi in the 35th minute of the match against Metz, and he was suspended on yellow card accumulation for the following match, the first leg of a relegation playoff against Saint-Étienne, which Nice drew 0-0.
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Wahi has not been charged with any crimes as the investigation continues.
OutKick has reached out to FIFA for comment on the matter.
